Coupling for meters and like devices.



H. W. CLARK.

COUPLING FOR METERS AND LIKE DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. I9l5. Y 1,281,293. Patented 0@t.15,'1918.

H. Ws CLARK.

COUPLING FOR METERS AND LIKE DEVICES.

-APPucATIoN man JULY 28.1915.

1,281,293.' Patented 001.1111918.

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HORACE W. CLARK, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS, A-SSIGNOR TOYH. W. CLARK CO., OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

COUILING FOR METERS AND LIKE DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application led July 28, 1915. Serial No. 42,399.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, HORACE W. CLARK, a resident of Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Meters and like Devices, of which the f ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

The invention relates to couplings for connecting pipes to water meters or like devices.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved meter-coupling which permits a meter to be quickly installed or removed and whereby'the meter and its connections will be effectively secured against accidental displacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved installation of watermeters whereby the pipe connections leading to and supporting the meter will efficiently secure the meter so that it will not be displaced laterally to a point near or in contact with the wall of the meter-box in which it is usually installed, such displacement sometimes causing freezing of the meter.

In practice, water meters are usually installed-in boxes extending to a point below the frost lineand designed to confine a body of air around the meter which will Prevent its freezing when it is supported ata point above the frost line where it is accessible for inspection. The meter is usually supported upon risers from the service pipe and if the meter, as a result of any swinging permitted by the couplings or connections.y should be displaced to contact with the wall ofthe meter box,` freezingof the meter may result. Therefore, in this' class of installations it is important thatV the meter should lbe efficiently supported against displacement and, in attaining this result, it is desirable to avoid the use of unions, elbows, fittings and joints as far as possible, and it is also desirable to provide a quickly operable and eincient coupling, so that the meter can be installed and removed with facility..

` Other objects of the invention will appear from the description of the invention.

The invention consists in the several novel features `hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.V

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa vertical section of an installation comprisingl a meter.:

and embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan, the meter box being shown in section. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the coupling ring and its connections. Fig. 4 is a plan of the coupling ring. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of the slidable coupling member. Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a water meter 10 of usual or any suitable construction and disposed in a meter box 11 which is provided with a removable lid 12 on a reduced upper portion or neck 14 of the box. In practice, it is customary to install the service pipe 15 below the frost line and to install the box above the service pipe, after the latter has been laid, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and, in installing the meter, it is usually the practice to cut a section out of the service pipe for theattachment of risers leading to and from the meter or to have the ends of the service pipe leading into and out of the box at diametrically opposite points alined with the service pipe, and in such an installation there is nothing to positively prevent lateral displacement of the meter cross-wise of the service pipe. According to one feature of the present invention, the service pipe 15 is severed at one point only at the center of the box and the ends of the pipe within the box are bent laterally in opposite directions, as indicated at 15a and 15b and risers 16 and 17 are secured to the ends respectively by elbows of usual construction. By bending vthe pipe, as indicated, the risers will be disposed out of alinement with the general line of the service pipe, so that when the upper ends of the risers are secured together, as hereinafter set forth, the risers and their connections will be correlatively disposed to mutually resist lateral crosswise swinging of the risers and the parts supported thereby relatively to the box; that is to say, the risers will be disposed in a plane extending substantially'at right angles to the general plane of a service pipe and the elbow connections between ythe risers and the ends of the service pipe and the rigid coupling at the meter will be effective toprevent swinging longitudinally of the service pipe, the risers forming, in effect, two vertical supports which prevent lateral movement of the meter in any direction.

The'improved coupling comprises aV ring- 4like member 20 which is adapted to eXtend around the meter and isprovided with fixed means thereon at one side for forming a connection with and supporting one of the Spuds 10a at one side of the meter, and an adjustable member for connection to and supporting thespud 10b vat the other side of the meter. "'One'side of the member 2Oy is provided with a lug or enlargement 21 which is adapted for screw-threaded connection to theriser y17, the upper end of theriser being provided with a screw-thread 22 adapted tosc'rew intothe bottom of lug 21. An elbow duct 23=is kformed in said lug-to cong i duct fluid from the 'riser to the meter, or

to receive and support one of the spuds of the .meter, and with an annular recess or seatp25 adapted to receive the end of the Spud and :toform a connection between the ringand one of the spuds of the meter when said parts are clamped together. If desired, suitable packing 26 may be interposed betweenfthe seat 25 and the end of the spud to provide a water-tight joint and prevent leakage.- An inclined surface 27 is formed on member 2O above seat 25 to guide `the spud into thesupport 24 during placement ofthe meter in the ring, and also to force the' meter into the support at the opposite side thereof, as will presently more fully appear.

Thefothervriser 16 `has its upper end screwthreaded into the bottom of an adjustable' coupling block or member 30 which is provided with au elbow duct 31 for iiuid conduction' between the riser and the meter, anl

` outer end, and is `open, also on the bottom thereof to' permit movement of the riser relatively to the ring when the riser is being connected to or disconnected from member 30. A clampscrew 35' extends through the end of lug 34L and is adapted to engage the outer end of slidable member V30 to cause th'e meter tobeiirmly clamped between the seats 32 arrd25 to effect asecure and watertight connection between the spuds and the ring and the slidable member 30 respec tively.' A housing 36 extends around the outer vvendl of screw 35 and, if desired, an

irregular portion 37 may be'formed on the vscrew so that it cannot be loosened except outer end ofc-ne` side ot slidab'le member 30 to prevent said member from becoming lost during shipment or separatedfrom the ring prior to installation.

In installing the meter, the service pipe is cut at one point only. The ends are then bent laterally' in opposite directions and the risersare connected thereto by elbows. The ring' 2O is then secured on the top'oftheriser 17. 'Member 3'0can be withdrawn entirely from guideway 34, the screw 38 being first retracted to release lug 40, and when `separated from thering; member/30 will 'beisecured onto theupperfend--oi' the otherriser and then slipped from the inside-of the ring into theguidewayf34. At such time, screw 35' will Abe turned to permit @member -30 to move outwardly as aras necessary inguide way 34. The coupling will then be readyfto receive and Vsupport the'-meter. kIn .placing the -me'ter in `the coupling, one of'itsspuds is first Vplaced lupon seat '33 :and l'the other sidexoi' themeter isthen forced downwardly onto the supporting lug `24 and -in.-doing. this, the spud 10'LL -wi-ll.rideon fandengage the inclined surface 27 which will .act asa cam surface to force the other spud'iintoy the seat 32 yin member 30.- Screw 35V will -then befturned to forcefthe1nember-30 inwardly so that the meter will be securely clamped between the ii-Xed seat onthe Iring and the adjustable 'member 30,the ends otthespuds causing water-tight connections ito kbe made between the fmeter and the couplingymembers, to Vwhich vthe yrisers are' respectively conne'cted. l

It will be observed that the elbow between the riser 16 and theV service )pipe -is arranged soas to permit easy :adjustment of the coupling member securedtothefupperend Aof the riser .and until the coupling hasfbeen secured to the meter. y

In practice, the4 adjustable member vvand they clamping screw are usually formed of brass and V-the rin member ismade ofiron,- but it will be metal Vmay vbe used. Y .1,

The invention thus exemplifies an 1improved coupling for meters and .-likeld'evices, in which lthe' use of 'union couplingsfor right' and left-hand ttings isI avoided: In inf' stalling the coupling,i the necessity ofV ycutting out a sec-'tion of the service pipe or? making two cuts isavoided. The coupling and memberv are rigidly sustained by the riser pipesv vand connections so that all danger of they meter sbeing displaced into contact with the wall ofthe boli,` and resultant freezing, lare avoided.HY Connection and discoiinfection of the meter: -`and' coupling may be readily easily made. T-he operationl off a single screwserves43o/'clamp'l the meter in the coupling. The'y coupling -is adapted for meters different in form,,con struction `rOr-siZe, as the result :of the wide range ofadjustment provided for Vof the..

erstood that any suitablesingle adjustable member. By providing a screw operable only by a special key, the necessity of providing a seal to indicate whether the connections of the meter have been disturbed is avoided.

The improved coupling, although described and illustrated as applied to a watermeter in a meter-box, may be used to advantage in connection with other meters and like devices in other places, such, for example, as in meter-testing machines.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupling` for meters and like devices, the combination of a member formed to encircle the device and provided with an integral part adapted for the attachment of a riser pipe thereto and having a fluid duct therein, a block horizontally slidable in said member at one side thereof and having an elbow duct therein, an integral guide in said member in which said block is horizontally slidable, said block being adapted for attachment of a riser thereto, and means for forcing the block inwardly in the guide.

2. In a couplin for meters and like devices having spu s, the combination of a pair of movable connected members, each provided with means for the attachment of a pipe thereto, with a fluid duct and with a Copies of this patent may be obtained for socket for receivin a spud on the device, one of the members eing formed to encircle the device, means for relatively operating the members to clamp the device between them, and means on one of the members for forcing the device into the seat on the other member in placement of the device between the members, said sockets having Walls completely encircling the spuds.

3. In a coupling for meters and like devices having spuds,` the combination of a ring member and a member slidable therein, each member being provided with means for the attachment of a pipe thereto, and with means for engaging a spud on the device, and a screw inthe ring-member, extending laterally and outwardly from the slidable member and engaging the slidable member to clamp the device between the members.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a meter box, a service pipe having horizontal portions substantially radial relatively to the box and having portions axially aligned and portions bent laterally adjacent the box, risers coupled to the ends of the bent portions of the pipe and disposed in offset relation rela tively to the axis of the aligned portions of the pipe, coupling members secured to the upper ends of and supported by the risers respectively, and means for securing a meter box to the couplin members.

ORAGE W. CLARK.

Witnesses:

D. G. TRENCH, WILBERT HILL.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

